operational action, and they facilitate cross-border cooperation and prosecution. Member States should make full use of the support of the agencies to tackle crime through joint action. Increased cooperation between the agencies should also be promoted, within their respective mandates. The revised cooperation agreement between Europol and Frontex, once implemented, will allow such synergies by enabling the two agencies to share personal data with appropriate data protection safeguards. Eurojust and Europol should further enhance their operational cooperation. Based on contributions from EU agencies and in close cooperation with Member States, the Commission has acquired specific expertise in developing risk assessments. The Commission has developed Risk Assessment and Mapping Guidelines for Disaster Management20 as well as Guidelines on the Assessment of Member States’ Risk management capability, and conducted risk assessments on explosives in air cargo from third countries and on passenger checks at airports in Member States. The Commission intends to apply this methodology in other areas, such as critical infrastructures, money laundering and terrorist financing, and to assess in particular the cascading effects of systemic risks. Coordination hubs can facilitate a coherent European response during crises and emergencies, avoiding unnecessary and expensive duplication of efforts. In the framework of the Solidarity Clause21, a Member State can request EU assistance in case of crisis, including terrorist attacks. The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre acts as the main 24/7 coordination and support platform for all crises under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism22, the Solidarity Clause and the Integrated Political Crisis Response arrangements (IPCR). It relies on inputs from the Commission, EU agencies and Member States. With increasing and new disaster risks, Member States and the Commission need to work together to fully implement and operationalize the 2013 civil protection legislation,23 including following up on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.24 The EU should continue reinforcing crisis management preparedness for a more efficient and coherent EU response to crises sparked by criminal acts, impacting on borders, public security and critical systems. This includes running more joint field exercises. Cross-border tools are available at EU level to support operational cooperation. Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) provide a ready-made framework for cooperation between Member States, set up for a fixed period to investigate specific cases. JITs are a successful tool that should be used more regularly and draw systematically on the agencies. Where criminal cases have an international dimension, Member States should make use of the possibility to involve third countries in JITs. Similarly, Joint Customs Operations (JCOs) allow customs authorities to tackle cross-border crime in the customs area, using a multi-disciplinary approach. The Commission and the Member States have jointly developed common risk criteria for security risk assessments by customs of international goods movements. In line with the EU Strategy and Action Plan for customs risk management, the EU should continue to strengthen its capacity for detection of illicit trade in goods or cash. 20 21 22 23 24 SEC(2010) 1626 final of 21.12.2010. Article 222 TFEU. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism was established in 2001 to foster cooperation among national civil protection authorities across Europe. Decision 1313/2013/EU of 17.12. 2013 on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism. This encompasses making local and national level infrastructure more disaster-resilient, promoting innovation, creating more effective linkages between research, policy and operations, developing partnerships with the private sector and mainstreaming disaster risk management. 9